Scars
by The TimeMachine
Summary: Never again. That is what Reyna swears to herself as she promises to never love again. But what if an old enemy from the past challenges that? Will she keep her promise then? PercyxReyna!
1. Never Again

**Hey guys! So lately, I've fallen in love with the pairing Percy/Reyna. And thus, this story was born. Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

"_You all raised me as praetor for a reason. I will fight to defend this camp with my life. But these aren't enemies. I say we stand ready, but do not attack. Let them land. Let them speak. If it is a trick, then I will fight with you, as I did last night. But it is not a trick." Percy says, standing his ground._

And so here we are, in the Field of Mars, a huge warship rapidly descending towards us. "I hope Percy's right," I mutter to no one in particular as I glance at the green-eyed boy himself. He is playfully smiling at Hazel and Frank, his arms wrapped around their shoulders. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips.

He deserves some happiness after this mess. After all he's been through; his memory wiped, being "kidnapped" by Juno, his encounter with Lupa, the travel to camp, and his dangerous quest to free Death himself. I can't imagine what Jason's been through.

_Jason._

A grin sparks across my face. After so many months, I can see him again. I think about his golden blonde hair, his electrifying blue eyes, and how the deep violet _praetor _cape complimented his skin nicely. My heartbeat raced, and my mind felt dizzy in excitement. I catch Percy's eyes glancing at me, and I quickly turn my expression into a cold stare unto the horizon.

His eyes flicker back to the warship, and a genuine smile grows onto his face. I feel a spark of jealousy as I realize that Jason might not remember me, but Percy remembers Annabeth. Their reunion will be sweet and romantic, whereas mine might end up being awkward.

_No, _I think to myself, _stay positive. He _has _to remember me. Percy still remembered Annabeth in the beginning, didn't he?_

The ship finally lands, and I don't even hesitate to watch from behind. My feet are softly running to the massive warship, a quiet, "Jason?" leaving my lips. A ladder descends, and a blonde girl with a bright orange t-shirt climbs down first, her eyes frantically searching the crowd. Her eyes, a striking grey, finally lock eyes with the raven haired, sea green eyed boy. "Percy!" the girl shouts, racing to meet him, Percy meeting her halfway with a tight embrace.

I turn to watch Hazel and Frank, who are smiling, happy to see their friend reunited with the girl that cluttered his memories. I turn back to the ship, my palms sweating. This is it. Finally, the golden haired boy appears, and my heart almost leaps out of my chest.

But just as soon as it leaped, it comes crashing down to the ground with such force, it shattered. Because standing next to him, her hand interlaced with Jason's, is a beautiful girl with choppy hair and messy braids. Her smile is genuine, almost pulling you into a trance.

"No," I mumble.

Jason climbs down, the girl following behind him, and when they land on the ground, they lace their fingers together again.

I walk towards him, and say, "Jason? It's me, Reyna." Jason's eyebrows knit together and he frowns. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you." He winces then, as if to prove that regaining his memory is a difficult and painful task. I take in a sharp breath. "Oh, I'm Piper, by the way," the girl besides him breaks in with a cheerful voice. But her eyes speak differently. They flicker to Jason and give off a protective glare.

I stare at her coolly, but it's no use. The way Jason leans against her, it's obvious they are together. It's obvious that I am not in the picture anymore. I briskly nod, and Piper smiles in triumph. I turn to walk away, but bump into someone.

The faint smell of sea salt fills my nostrils, and I look up at Percy, who smirks. "Where are you going?" he asks, blissful to my eyes watering.

"None of your business," I growl, pushing past him. He turn around and starts to me, shouting, "Reyna? Reyna! What's wrong?"

"Everything," I mutter to myself, as I run faster, out of Percy's reach. After a while, Percy gives up, and stops running after me. He pants quietly, and I run faster out of earshot.

And when I reach the Little Tiber, I give in, and start to sob quietly to myself. After some minutes, I clench my fists and wipe away my tears.

_Never again, _I hiss mentally to myself, _never again shall I fall in love. It is not wise, and I should be focused for the upcoming battle with the giants. Love? Love is a mere distraction. _

_Never again._

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><p><em><em>**Thanks for reading! Please, please review! I would like to know if I should continue this! If I do, I promise chapters will be longer, too. :) **

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	2. Rude Interruptions

**Hey guys! So here's chapter two! Thanks to all the reviewers, you guys made my day! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned any of the PJO characters, Percy/Reyna would be canon, just saying! 3**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

I stand next to the small stream, checking my reflection. Finally, when all traces of my bawling have erased, I start back to the barracks. As I walk, I make sure to contort my face unto a cold, hard gaze again. I cannot afford for my people to see me as weak, especially when we have a great war appearing at our midst. Not to mention my little scene will be the talk of the cohorts now. I sigh, and trudge along.

As I walk through the long paths leading to the barracks, I notice most people are gone. Good. I'm not up for questions or pity. I notice the baths and smile. A hot Roman bath is needed under these circumstances. I walk straight in through a high arch with the word _thermae_ etched on the top in a beautiful design. Romans sure had their way with architecture.

I'm slipping of my sandals when I notice I'm not alone. There, at the front of our huge pool, is the dark haired figure that still haunts my dreams.

Percy.

He is practicing -or playing?- with the water in the pool. Tiny whirlpools surround him and with both hands he is raising small waves of liquid. I frown. Can't I _ever _be left in peace? I turn on my heels, not even bothering with my sandals. I was just reaching the edge of the baths' entrance when his voice brings me to a halt. "Reyna? Is that you?"

I cringe. _I can walk away, _I think, _I can ignore him. _

"Reyna? Please, don't go."

I bite my lip and turn around, walking towards the front of the steaming pool. I smile a friendly smile, but inside I was screaming curses at him.

"Uh, hello," I mumble. Percy smiles widely, showing his pearl white teeth. He stops his whirlpools and waves and turns to look at me. "What happened this morning?"

I narrow my eyes. "Why should I tell you?" I say angrily, and Percy lifts his hands in defense.

"You don't have to. But I thought as being your friend, I should-"

"You, my _friend_?" I snap, "You are _not _my friend. I still haven't forgotten the incident in Circe's island!"

Percy's eyes drop. I've hit a nerve. "I, I'm really sorry about that," he says sadly. His voice, it's rich with sincerity and a soft sad tone, that it is impossible not to forgive. And then where his eyes, that gleamed in the dull lights with such distraught.

"Well, sorry isn't going to bring all those lost months without my sister," I continue harshly. I didn't even know why I was doing this. Yes, I wanted Percy to pay for what he did, but not like _this_. I'm not that cruel. And then it hit me.

I am draining out all my frustration of the whole Jason/Piper thing with Percy. When I look down to see him, he is already climbing out of the pool, on his way out.

"Percy!" I call out, "Come back!"

I run to him, and grab him by the wrist. "Percy," I breathe.

He turns to meet me face to face, and I stop before running into him. "What?" he says, annoyed, "Are you going to insult me some more?"

"No, Percy," I say, "I'm just angry about Jason and…"

Percy's eyebrows crinkle in confusion, then shoot straight up as he realizes something. "Oh gods, Reyna, I forgot! I totally forgot that you liked Jason, and…"

"I don't like him anymore," I snap.

"Wait, was it because he loves, I mean, likes Piper?"

"No, it's because you can't win wars with love," I growl, and start to walk away again. This time Percy grabs my wrist, bringing me to a halt.

"But it can help you from falling apart from this pressure," he whispers.

"No it can't! I need to focus on saving Camp Jupiter, not some crush that was going to fade away, anyways!" I shout.

"Reyna…" Percy starts quietly, but I cut him off.

"No, that's not true! That's not,"

This time Percy interrupts me, but with a kiss. His lips are soft and even taste like saltwater. I find myself kissing him back, only for a second. And then I push him off of me with such force, he stumbles back.

"You! You insufferable boy, you think I'm easy or something? Well, no!" I scream, my blood boiling, and fists clenched.

Percy shakes his head, saying, "Reyna, I'm sorry, I got carried away…"

"Oh, no, Perseus Jackson, I'll make you _rue_ the day you tried to take advantage of me! You'll see, pretty soon, you'll pay… for _everything_." I hiss, jabbing my finger at him.

I turn around quickly and storm off, and I think I heard Percy chuckling quietly to himself.

_That fool, _I think, _He's going to wish he's never messed with me! _

When I finally reach my place, I stop at the door to try to sink in the feeling of being kissed. That was my first kiss, and I did it with none other than _Percy_? I lift my hand so my fingers will brush my lips. I still had the faint taste of saltwater.

Saltwater.

My jaw locks, and I throw my hands in the air in frustration. But even as mad as I am, it doesn't stop the mad butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

It was my first kiss, anyways, wasn't it? I've never had such a feeling of warmness that spread through my body before. _Kissing a boy was kind of nice, though, _I think to myself.

But my eyes narrow, and I shake the thought away, as I walk into my principia.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, and please review! :)<strong>


	3. An Idea

**I actually had time to update two chapters in one day! So a cheer at my accomplishment! :) Here's chapter three, enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the PJO characters, guys. *sadface***

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

I lay my head against my soft pillow, and sleep came instantly.

_A small girl sits by the edge of the shore, crying. Her knees are propped up, her elbows resting on them, her forehead in between, and her fingers laced together over her neck._

_As I step closer to her, I realize she isn't crying, but sobbing. "Hylla!" the little girl wails. I cringe at the name. Sadness surges through me, enough to almost make my knees buckle. I try to concentrate on the girl, and notice she is covered in grime and dirt. Her clothes are tattered, and she is barefoot. Her hair, a dark black, is in a messy braid that is hanging limply at her back. _

_Why is she crying? She is sitting on the shore of a beautiful island, and she's crying? "I hate you, Percy Jackson," the girl hisses through clenched teeth. "When I find you, I will make you feel every ounce of pain that I felt, and I'll destroy you."_

_I frown. A little girl should not feel this way, say those things…_

"_No," I tell the little girl, "You have to forgive him…"_

_The little girl looks up; her eyes are rimmed with red, and are puffy. I see that her jaw locks, and I grimace. "Forgive? Forgive him of separating me from the _only _thing I have in this world? Never!" she shouts, standing up. "We cannot forgive him! We can _never _forgive him!"_

_My fists ball up and I start to the girl as well. "We have to, it is not healthy to hate someone so much, especially a little girl like you," I try to explain, but the little girl cuts me off with a dark chuckle._

"_Which is unhealthier then, hm? Hating someone who deserves it, or falling in love with them, so they can lie and hurt you more? Because are you honestly going to trust him after what he did? After Jason?" she seethes. _

_I frown even more now. "No, do not speak of Jason. That is done." The girl smiles evilly. "I doubt it," she smirks. "Plus," she adds harshly, "he has a girlfriend, Annabeth. You think he'll leave her for you? Please." _

_My shoulders sag, and then tense again. "Well, since when did I say I liked Percy anyways? I don't like him." _

_The little girl laughs darkly again, sneering at me. "How amusing, that I, a small little girl, know you better than older, mature Reyna!"_

_I glare at the little girl, and say coolly, "I'll keep my promise, you'll see. I won't fall in love again. Not with Jason, or Percy, or anyone else."_

_The girl raises her brows in amusement, and whispers, "We'll see." She snaps her fingers and the dream disintegrates into thin air. It shatters into a million pieces, and I feel my soul rising to the real world._

I gasp, and my eyes snap open. I want to close them again, and never face this horrible reality. This world where I have to fight beside a boy I hate with every fiber of my being. Hate? _Hate is such a strong word, _I think. But I do, don't I? Don't I hate him? I shake my head and stand up, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

I slip into my deep violet toga, and golden armor. I strap my sandals on, and head out of my principia. Dawn is barely braking, and there is little to no people walking around. Again, I feel a wave of relief wash over me. I fix my gaze into a serious stare, and walk towards the paths until I reach the Field of Mars.

And then, out of nowhere, I get an idea. I grin, and feel giddy. I know now _exactly _how Percy was going to pay for what he did last night. I smile for a couple more seconds, relishing at the thought of what Percy's face will look like when I deliver the news. And then, just as quick as getting the idea, I turn my face stone cold, suppressing a smile as I walk back to the Fifth Cohort's barrack.

My walk quickens in pace, and then I'm full on sprinting to the place. I stop at the front of the cohort's door, taking a small breath, and pounding on the door loudly. "Perseus Jackson!" I holler at the top of my lungs, pounding on the door louder.

The door swiftly opens, and Dakota comes out, his lips stained red as usual. "What?" he says hazily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Tell Percy to wake up!" I yell, crossing my arms.

"Alright, alright!" Dakota says, raising his arms defensively. "Percy!" he screams behind him, and there is a rustle of sheets, and a heavy thud on the floor.

I hear a faint mutter of Greek curses, and I try my best from not smiling again. I make a quick evil mental laugh, and try not to smile again at my ridiculousness. "What?" someone hisses from behind Dakota. I lean forward and see that it is Percy, who is running his fingers through his messy black hair. I narrow my eyes at him, and his gaze drops to the ground.

"Oh, Reyna…" he starts, but I interrupt him.

"I challenge you to a _code duello_." I say flatly, and Dakota's eyes widen into huge craters.

"A code what?" Percy asks, confused. "A _code duello_!" Dakota chokes out, "That means a duel!"

Percy's brows rise, and he bursts out laughing. "A duel?" he says between breaths, "That's what so scary?"

I glare at him, but smirk. "You don't understand," Dakota stammers, "You _really _don't want to duel with Reyna… She's ruthless!" Percy's eyebrows rise slightly, but he grins. "I can take her," he says confidently.

I grin evilly, and then turn my face stone cold.

"We'll see," I say coolly, "See you at noon in the Field of Mars, and get ready to get beaten, son of Neptune."

Percy laughs again, and says, "You're on." I give Percy one more icy stare and a smile full of leer.

And with that, I turn around, and walk away, the sweet taste of revenge and victory already flooding my mouth.

"Dude, you are _so _screwed," I catch Dakota whisper to Percy.

I grin even wider.

()()()()()

Noon rolls around slowly, but by then, my challenge to Percy is all the buzz between the cohorts. I step into the grassy field, my armor shining faintly in the sunlight. Percy stands in front of me, his armor shinning as well. To my left is a large group made up of the cohorts, Jason, Piper, a kid named Leo Valdez, and Annabeth.

Annabeth's eyes were filled with worry as they flicker to Percy. Then her gaze turns to me, and she gives me an icy glare. _Two can play at that game, _I hiss mentally to myself, flashing a returning glare to her. She frowns, and turns back to Percy.

"Are you ready, Perseus?" I say mockingly to him, raising my Imperial gold sword. Percy uncaps his pen, and it turns into a bronze sword. "Of course. And you?" Percy says, and equal mocking tone to his voice.

"Never been better," I breathe, raising my sword to strike. Percy does the same, his eyes glinting with focus.

The crowd cheers, as gold clashes with bronze.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Please review! <strong>

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	4. Dueling and Venting

**Hey guys! I've really been inspired, so here is chapter four. Seriously, guys, this is new. I don't really come up with chapters this fast. Weird. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the PJO characters!**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

Attack, dodge, attack again.

The cheering of the crowd, the clash of our swords, and the soft pant of each one of us rattle my eardrums.

Percy slashes at me, and I sidestep out of reach. I lunge my sword at Percy, and he gracefully dodges. Fighting like a true _graceus_, Percy attacked from every angle, not even trying to fight like a disciplined Roman.

But don't underestimate me. Daughter of the war goddess herself, I wasn't the easiest opponent, either. In fact, if it wasn't for Percy's quick reflexes, he'd already be on the ground, defeated, hours ago.

I quickly glance to watch the green-eyed boy, concentration etched on his face. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His eyes glinted with a hint of focus, and he did this odd thing of biting his tongue slightly when he raised his sword to attack. I almost smile, as most girls of the cohorts would find this "cute". But, regardless of what _I_ thought, I had no time to think anyways.

Percy was relentless in his attacks, and soon enough, both of us are drenched in sweat. Finally, in what seems like forever, Percy lounges his bronze sword at me, and I sidestep easily to my right. For the few seconds I catch him off guard, I arch my Imperial gold sword in the air, and with all the remaining strength I can muster, bring it tumbling down with such force on Percy's sword, it lands on the floor with a soft thud. A loud cheer erupts through the crowd.

His head snaps up to me, and his eyes are wide with surprise. I smile triumphantly, and hit his chest hard with the hilt of my sword. Percy stumbles back, and lands in the grass in front of me. I hear him softly moan as he clutches his chest, and I grin, letting my sword drop beside me. I walk towards him, and crouch down next to him, smirking, "See? You are not the only one that can fight dirty, _graceus_."

Percy's brows tug together in frustration, and he smiles forcefully. Then he does something unexpected. He grabs my wrist and pulls on me, so I plummet down and land on his chest. "Percy!" I hiss, raising myself up slightly with my hands. Percy smiles mischievously, and leans up so his lips brush against my ear. "_That_, Reyna, is how to fight dirty," he whispers.

For some reason, his hot breath alone that radiates across my neck is enough to make all the hairs on my neck stand straight up. I realize I'm slightly blushing as he pulls away, making sure to brush his lips with mine in the process. I glare at him, as I stand up, not even lending a hand. I also fix my face into a cold stare again, so the other people will not notice I was blushing.

"You, you intolerable, irresponsible, reckless boy! I just… I cannot _stand _you!" I shout, pushing him with force on his chest.

His hands lock on my wrists, and I fight the urge to blush again. He easily pushes them off me, and I let them hang at my sides again, my fists clenched.

I look up to see the crowd has disintegrated and gone up to their respective barracks. Even Annabeth has left, who was walking warily in front of a reassuring Hazel who was mumbling about how 'Percy will be fine, but needed to work out things with Reyna,'

Finally, when everyone has left, I turn back to Percy, who is still grinning stupidly. "Stop smiling like that!" I hiss, starting to hit him again.

But then I don't know what overcame me, because instead of punches flown at Percy, my hands tangle in his black hair and I kiss him roughly.

Percy immediately kisses me back, and the taste of saltwater filled me again. It was nostalgic, and reminded me of my previous kiss with him. I pour all my anger and frustration out as our lips move together, in synch.

When we pull apart for air, an awkward silence settled between us. Percy speaks first. "Uh, I, uh…" he mumbles, his right hand on the back of his neck. I turn my face as cold and emotionless as possible.

"This never happened," I cut him off, in a serious tone, "nor will it happen again." Percy nods in agreement, and turns to walk away. I stare at him as he leaves. When he's gone, I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. Finally, I make my way to my principia was well.

()()()()

"_This never happened," I cut him off, in a serious tone, "nor will it happen again."_

It's been three weeks now. Three weeks since Percy and mine's second kiss, but surely not the last. Ever since then, we've been mysteriously kissing every time we've had the chance- during the morning, our free time, behind the temples, or during the night, when everyone's asleep.

It's crazy, I know. Oh, gods, do I _know_. Then why do we still do it? Frankly, I don't know why. I mean, the cons obviously run over the pros. Trust me, I ponder about this every night.

Percy has a girlfriend. Con.

Percy separated me from my sister. Con.

I hate Percy. Con.

Percy has caused several years of my childhood a living hell. Con.

I hate Percy. Con.

So why am I kissing him?

Because it's just that; kissing. No broken promises, no doubts, and best of all, no _love_. My stomach clenches with nausea just at the thought of the word.

I can't just fall in love with a guy who's taken, I mean, how absurd! I know I will lose that battle, so there is no hope, no heavy feeling of loss when he picks her over me, because I've known that all along.

And Percy? Well, I don't know about him. But when I crash our lips together, he doesn't seem to reject them. He has never spoken about it, and Jupiter forbid, I never bring it up. So in silence, we always seem to know when either one wants to break away from the crowd and just vent out.

Although, our way of venting is not normal. Or healthy, for that matter.

But here we are, kissing and embracing wildly, trying to grasp onto something that will never exist.

And we like it that way.

So my promise remains intact and unbroken. But some dark voice at the back of my head chuckles, and says, amused, "For now."

And they're right. This going to backfire on me. I just know it.

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><p><strong>Aaanndd, there goes chapter four! I hope you liked it, and I hope you REVIEW! :)<strong>

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	5. Advice

**Wow, I'm on fire! ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the PJO characters... Trust me, Reyna/Percy would be canon by now. **

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

We kiss each other hungrily, with fire and rage. With a soft thud, his hands are pushing me against a tree, and I tangle my right hand in his hair while the other claws at his back. He leaves a trail of kisses along my jaw, and a soft sigh leaves my lips.

Then we hear some shout our names, and I push Percy away from me quickly. His hair looks messy, and his emerald eyes are wide with fear. I catch a slight glint of annoyance and… _reluctance _in his gaze as well. I fix my hair and purple toga that was slipping off my left shoulder. Percy does the same.

After straightening both of ourselves, we part ways through the underbrush. I catch Percy staring at me before I step into the clearing in the Field of Mars.

"Percy?" a shrill voice yells across the grassy field. No doubt that it belongs to Annabeth. I start walking away from her and roam to the Bellona temple at Temple Hill.

I stand across from the statue of my mother, who is towering over me, grace and power etched across her features. I sigh. I stand there in silence for a moment when a voice says behind me, "Reyna, what _are _you doing?"

I turn to see Hazel leaning on one of the large columns of marble, her face concerned and wary. Her arms are crossed across her chest. "Um, standing in my mother's temple?" I reply quizzically. Hazel narrows her eyes, still looking wary.

"I know, Reyna."

I freeze, and my heart pounds crazily onto my chest. "Know about what?" I try cautiously, but Hazel cuts me off. "I know about Percy and you."

I try to scowl. "Percy? I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh, really? Tell me, Reyna then, what's that hickey doing on your neck?" Hazel says, tilting her head to point at the right side of my neck.

My hand shoots up to cover it, but it's too late. "Uh… I,"

"Look, I don't know why you two are doing this, but I just want to advise you that you need to stop," Hazel continues, stepping towards me, "I mean, Percy has a _girlfriend_. Plus, as much as you promise you won't, you'll get your feelings mixed into this, and make it a _huge _mess."

I open my mouth to retort, but Hazel shakes her head and keeps talking, "I know you Reyna, and I know you are stubborn about not putting your feelings out there. Percy might be able to move on, but I know you won't…"

"You don't know me!" I growl, stepping closer to her. She doesn't even flinch. "Reyna, listen to me, you have to stop…" she starts again. "No, I know what I am doing," I snap, and she frowns. "You're going to hurt a lot of people…"

"Listen, Hazel, keep the words of wisdom to yourself," I hiss, "because I don't need them." And with that, I walk out of the temple, leaving Hazel alone, sighing and shaking her head.

Once I know I am out of Hazel's reach, I scurry to the nearest bathroom mirror to look at myself. Just as Hazel said, there was a bright purple bruise at the right of my neck, right below my jaw line. I scowl, and rub at it frustratingly. "Percy is _so _dead!" I hiss to myself. But how will I be able to step into the crowd to with this?

Questions will be asked, and I will become the laughing stock of the entire New Rome! I purse my lips, and bunch my fists in anger. Someone opens the bathroom door, and I quickly cover the bruise with my hand.

_Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, NO!_

"Why, hello," says the blonde girl looking at me, a hint of annoyance in her tone. I started to scream so many Roman curses in my mind, I lost count.

Standing behind me, eyeing me suspiciously is Annabeth Chase.

()()()()()

"Uh, hi," I say, smiling sheepishly. Annabeth narrows her eyes at me but nods, and continues to walk into a stall.

With a quiet sigh of relief, I quickly speed away from the bathroom, and start running for my principia. I keep my hand around my neck at all times, and ignore everyone who waves hello or starts towards me to chat.

_I don't have time right now, _I think to myself. But still, how disrespectful of me! Anyways, I reach my principia without any embarrassment. I open the door quickly, close it behind me, and slide down the door, my muscles relaxing. I let my hand fall away from my neck, and sit there, breathing in deeply.

And then I notice I'm not alone.

_Just my luck_.

"Reyna, are you okay?" says Percy standing over me, a look of concern on him. "Yeah," I say, my voice oozing with sarcasm, "I'm great! I just found out I have a hickey at the side of my neck, but I'm just fabulous!"

Percy's brows rise. "What?"

I throw my hands up in anger, and yell, "You gave me a hickey, fool! I mean, _really_?" Percy raises his arms in protest. "I didn't see you not liking it!" he counters, and I become silent.

After a while, Percy laughs, and gently stokes my bruise. "Purple _is _a good color on you," he says jokingly. I slap his hand away from me. "I hate you," I say, annoyed.

"I know," Percy replies quietly, and kisses the tip of my nose. His eyes soften, and he smiles warmly at me. I find myself smiling back. When I realize what I am doing, I quickly stand and straighten my toga, not making eye contact with him.

Percy sighs and nods awkwardly before walking out of the principia. Before he leaves completely, my eyes flicker to his face and notice he looks very conflicted.

But then he is gone, and I am left here wondering if I have the same conflicted look etched on my face right now.

I sure hope not.

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><p><strong>Please review! Please review! And pointers? Thoughts? Just one little click and a couple of seconds of typing is all I want! Please..? *cue puppy dog face*<strong>

**lol. :D**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	6. Movies

**This chapter... Was one of my absolute _favorites_** **to write! I see that a lot of people demanded, "MORE FLUFF!" And don't worry, I was itching to write fluff, too. :) So, here is chapter six!**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

Things are going downhill… _fast_.

I've got Annabeth giving me suspicious glares at me every time she sees me, Hazel trying to be mature or something by telling me to stop, (although, curiously, she hasn't told anyone anything), and I even heard that the children of Venus are noticing the way me and Percy look at each other, and it is _not _in a friendly way.

And then there is Percy in itself who keeps asking me for us to "hang out"… just as friends. And it's not just that; he's been staring at me weirdly since the whole hickey incident, which, with a little help from a Venus's child's _borrowed _make-up kit, I managed to not get spotted with it. Anyways, he acts so tough and serious with his friends, but when I see his gaze flicker to me, those infinite, sea green eyes soften. It's worse when our eyes lock, because he gives me this smile.

That cursed _smile_.

A smile that is slyly concealed as he talks, so only _I_ realize that he is actually smiling. It literally fills me up with some unexplained warmth throughout my chest. And lately, when I catch that smile, I end up tripping over myself or toppling something over, making Percy chuckle quietly.

Stupid smile.

How on Jupiter's Earth am I going to act mature and ready for this war if some stupid smile is making my knees wobble?

So, finally, Friday rolls around, and I have some time to distract myself from all of this. Built exclusively from the demand of the teenagers in New Rome, a movie theater sits between two cafes in the city's square. It is not huge, but just big enough to hold most of the teenage population. It's one of the few "modern" things we have here.

Most of the nights they show boring reenactments of classic Roman tragedies for the elders, but Friday nights belong to us. This week, they are premiering a popular horror movie, my favorite type of films. I just find it funny how normal mortals find the stuff scary.

Being the daughter of Bellona, I've learned that _nothing _is scarier than a battlefield. Well, even battlefields aren't that scary for me, but you get the point.

Anyways, I got to the theater to notice it was _packed_. I hurried to get in line, and noticed Percy was a couple of people behind me.

_Great. So much for some "Reyna-time". _

I try not to glance down Percy's way, and focus of paying for my ticket. I fished out of my pocket a couple of denarii as I get closer to the ticket booth. Just as I was second in line to get tickets, a lady in her early thirties came up to announce that the theater was sold out.

A collective groan came from the remaining people in line, and I sighed for show. People started to disperse, and I smiled as I slipped to the back of the theater unnoticed. Or so I thought.

I notice that Percy is right on my heels and asks, "Reyna? Where are you going?"

I turn around and give him an icy glare, putting my index finger to my mouth. Percy is confused for a moment, but then mouths, _Ohh!_

I nod and start sneaking towards the back again. When we reach the back of the theater, Percy chuckles. I snap back at him and hiss, "What is so funny?"

I swear, he always puts me in an annoyed mood for some reason. Something in the back of my head tells me that it's because I'm using that as denial. But denial of _what_?

"Reyna, leader of the Twelfth Legion, who is so mature and smart, is sneaking into a _movie_?" Percy says amused.

"Shut up, and help me onto this window," I snap, pointing to a window above me. "Sure thing, leader," Percy whispers mockingly. I scowl.

Percy wraps his hands along my waist, triggering my stomach to knot. My scowl deepened, and Percy hoisted me up toward the window, where I unlock the hatch and open it up slowly. I climbed in, and helped Percy get in as well.

We were in a small closet filled with thousands of film reels. Percy looked in awe at all the reels and I smiled slightly. He looked like a little child in the zoo. His deep green eyes sparked in the small rays of the moonlight that filtered through the window.

Percy's eyes flickered to mine, and I dropped my gaze to the floor. He starts towards me, and I open the door quickly and step outside. Reluctantly, Percy followed my lead and walked outside as well.

Inside this new room there was red carpet on the floor, and white paint on the walls. In the middle was a large, vintage projector attached to the wall, the film reels already turning as the previews began. Sitting behind the machine was an old man in his late forties. He turned around as I walked in and smiled.

"Hey, Kurt," I grin, waving. Kurt was wearing an old Hawaiian shirt and kakis with loafers. I knew him since forever, and he was one of the first friends I made when I first arrived at Camp Jupiter long ago. "Queen!" he says cheerfully, getting up to hug me.

Kurt is from Cuban decent, and according to Kurt, _Reyna _means "queen" in Spanish, so that's how he's called me ever since. Kurt notices Percy behind me, shifting on his feet awkwardly, and he winks at me. I blush slightly, and walk over to my usual spot.

You see, Kurt has been working in the projection room since the theater opened, and has always let me sneak in whenever the theater sold out, and I didn't get a chance to buy a ticket. It is a little secret between us, and this is the first time I ever brought anyone along with me.

"Why, hello," Kurt says, stretching out his hand to Percy. Percy smiles and shakes his hand, saying, "Uh, hi. I'm Percy. Uh, I mean, Percy Jackson… sir." Percy blushes a bit, and I smile slightly again.

"Well, if you need me, I'll be out back, okay? Queen, you know what to do right?" Kurt says looking at me. "Yeah, I've got it, Kurt." I reply, and Kurt sneaks in another wink towards me before heading out. Percy scratches his head awkwardly, and I motion for him to a chair next to me.

We sit in front of a small panel of fiberglass that lets us see the screen down below us. Although you do not experience the movie the same up here, you can at least see everything just fine. I notice the movie has barely started, so I take the chance to ask Percy, "So, where's your girlfriend?"

A hint of venom is injected into my voice, and _I_ am even surprised as it comes out. Percy raises his brow slightly and smiles.

Oh, gods. Not the smile.

My palms start to get sweaty and I wipe them with the back of the chair furiously. "Annabeth? Oh, she doesn't like horror movies," Percy explains quietly.

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, because she thinks that their plots are too obvious,"

I laugh, and Percy's eyes soften again. "Well, your girlfriend is right,"

Percy's eyebrows arch in surprise and I frown. "What?" I say crossing my arms. "Nothing, it's just, you just agreed with my girlfriend on something." Percy admits.

I look at him quizzically. "I've seen the way you glare at her, and I know you can't stand her," Percy continues, "It almost seems like you're… jealous."

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" I say. Percy drops his gaze from me and shrugs. I catch a slight sigh from him.

"So, why are _you_ here?" I quickly change the subject. Percy looks up to me and smiles. "What? I can't come to the theater now because mighty Reyna says so?" he smirks. My lips pucker and he smiles wider.

"Reyna, you're so cute when you do that," Percy mutters to himself faintly.

My heart stops.

"What?" I studder, and my heart starts racing at full speed again. Percy looks at me, and our eyes lock. The way he just looks at me, gods, I feel like I'm having a heart attack. I furiously try to stop these feelings, without success.

Before I can explode, though, Percy returns his gaze to the movie. We sit in silence, and I barely even pay attention to the movie, anyways. My eyes keep flickering to Percy, and I am shouting at myself mentally to turn away, but I can't. I hear people scream at some parts below us, but Percy doesn't even flinch.

Instead, I even catch him smiling in amusement.

Halfway, towards the movie, a horse appears, and Percy bursts out laughing.

I frown in confusion. "Um, what's so funny?"

"The horse," he says breathlessly, clutching his stomach, "the things it's thinking…"

I mouth an _ohh, _as I remember that Percy is a son of Neptune, and has the gift of reading the thoughts of horses, as Neptune created them himself.

"What's it, uh, 'saying'?" I ask, curious. Percy regains his breath and says, "Trust me; you do _not _want me to translate… He swears like a sailor!"

After realizing what he said, he added, "No pun intended, of course."

I laugh now, and Percy joins me. We end up clutching our stomachs and have tears our eyes as we laugh. Finally, we stop to catch our breaths, and Percy looks up to smile at me like an idiot.

My breath catches in my throat, and my heart is out of control. He leans in slowly, as if to relish the moment, and I feel so dizzy and it is as the temperature rose twenty degrees.

His lips catch mine, and my body goes on auto pilot. My right hand holds his cheek, and the other wraps around his neck. The kiss is long and sweet, and I close my eyes, feeling that warm sensation again, only multiplied by a million.

When we pull back, I find Percy grinning at me brightly. I grin back at him, and he takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. The blood rushes to my ears at the sensation of his hand touching mine. Percy notices this, and he chuckles.

When the movie ends, I leave a note for Kurt telling him thanks, and we both go to the closet and out of the window. Percy begs to walk me home, and I have no choice but to accept.

The walk to my principia is quiet as I untangle my hand with Percy. At first he looked at me hesitantly, but sighed and let it go. When we reach the place, Percy looks both ways, and when he sees no one is around, plants a quick kiss on my lips.

"Goodnight, Reyna," Percy whispers against my lips before turning to leave. I watch him walk away, and sigh.

Once inside, I plop on my bed and replay tonight's events in my head. At first, that warm sensation filled me again, but is quickly drowned out by a growing feeling of painful dread in my chest.

I realized I had broken my promise. I grit my teeth, and pace around nervously in my room. Panic consumed me, as this is a feeling of dread I've never had before.

Because I knew I was going to have to choose. There were no compromises, no battle strategies- no. It was one, or the other.

Period.

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh, as much as I loved writing "lovey-dovey" Reyna, I had to face the cruel reality that she is going to purposely hold back from loving Percy. Grr. <strong>

**Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this, and I hope I wrote longer than before! Haha. :) Thanks for reading, and please review! **

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	7. The Ugly Truth

**So, finally, an update! Sorry guys, I've just been busy with schoolwork lately. Plus, this chapter took a lot of brainstorming. Anyways, here's chapter seven. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the PJO characters!**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

Sleep never came.

I was constantly being awakened from my own nightmares. Most of them contained Percy, which usually woke me with a strong pang of pain in my chest. Finally, dawn broke over the horizon, and I had made my decision.

I lay on my bed, fully dressed, dreading to see Percy to tell him my choice. I should have seen it coming, didn't I? That this would get out of hand, but I'd be ready to stop it if it did?

Then why is there the feeling of pure and utter pain seeping through my chest?

The truth was clawing its way out of my heart, but my mind shoves it back onto its cage, silencing it.

For a while, anyways.

As if right on cue, a knock on the door brings my mind back into focus. The knock sounds urgent, and soon it turns into pounding. I quickly dash over and open the door.

Standing there is a very pale Percy whose eyes looked vacant and crazy with worry at the same time.

"What's wrong Per-"

"Annabeth," Percy croaks, his eyes flickering to mine for the first time. The sea green eyes were dark and fidgety now. "She, she's gone."

()()()()

"What?" I say, incredulous.

Percy takes a sharp breath and walks into my room. He paces frustratingly and mumbles to himself.

"After the movies last night, I couldn't- I just couldn't take it anymore and…" he looks at me warily. "I told her- everything."

My eyes widen.

"What?" I exclaim.

"Yeah, she didn't take it lightly at first, when I told her I loved yo-" Percy stops and looks at me. My heart is racing, though I don't know why.

_Percy loves me?_

I swallow hard and try to slow my breathing. Percy studies me, and a small, warm smile creeps up onto his face. But it is gone instantly, replaced by a grim line.

"…Well, she yelled, then cried, and then left. I tried to go after her, but I didn't want to make a scene. I had a dream afterwards when I was sleeping where my dad told me not to follow Annabeth. At first I didn't get him, but after I realized she was gone this morning, I knew what he meant."

My eyebrows furrow and I bite my lip.

Running away? A daughter of Minerva would never do something so rash and dangerous.

_Yeah, but wouldn't you want to run away if you found out Percy doesn't love you anymore?_

I freeze.

_Stop thinking like that, _I tell myself mentally, _You can't love him._

"Reyna," Percy pleads, and my skin crawls. "Come help me find her."

"Percy, Neptune himself told you to not follow her," I point out, and Percy scowls.

"I don't care about that! I just want to get my…" Percy hesitates and searches for the right word to say. "…to get my _friend _back."

That hesitation. That simple pause made my blood boil. Anger bubbled in me, and I lock my jaw.

"Damnit, Percy, why can't you just listen and follow what people tell you!" I say, my voice rising.

"Because I can't just let her _die_! What if she gets hurt?" Percy shouts, his cheeks flushed with anger.

"What if this is all Gaea's trick? What is it's a trap? What if…" my voice catches, "…what if _you _don't come back Percy?"

The last part comes out strained, and I only realize it until I've said it.

_Why do I say these things? Do I have no control over myself?_

Percy's eyes soften, and before I know it, he's embracing me so tightly; I can smell the saltwater on his chest.

He places a deep, loving kiss on my temple and cheek, and looks down at me with those endless green eyes.

"I won't get hurt, Reyna," he whispers onto my hair, "I promise, just for you."

_Just for you._

My skin tingles at his words, but my mind quickly pushes the thought away.

I push him off me and nod emotionless.

Percy frowns and says, "I'm leaving at noon, which is like, two hours from now. I don't know when I'll come back."

I nod expressionless again.

Percy's frown deepened into a scowl, and before he leaves, he mutters bitterly, "Reyna, one day, I'll be able to tear all those walls you've got put up. And when I do, we'll both be at peace because we need each other. You are just too stubborn to admit that."

My heart stops.

The sound of the door being shut is clear and loud as it bounces of the principia's walls. You can't even hear me breathe.

Maybe because I'm not even doing that.

Percy is leaving, and might not come back.

The mere thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.

And then there is what he said.

_Will he?_

_Will he tear my walls down? Because he seems pretty close._

I clutch my chest and wince. I hate how he makes me feel this way.

I hate it.

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><p><strong>So, yeah, sorry for the short chapter. I promise to write longer ones soon. Writing "conflicted Reyna" was fuunn. :) So, did you like it? Did you not? I will not know, unless you revieeww! <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	8. A Meeting

**Hey guys! Here's chapter eight of this story. I took a while to figure out how I was going to do this whole chapter; in fact, it took bits and pieces through last weekend and yesterday. And today I finally got it finished, woohoo! :D Enjoy, as I think you will like this chapter for _special _reasons. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the PJO characters!**

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><p>Percy's POV:<p>

I stood between a grim Hazel and a torn Frank. Leo Valdez leans on a table, and Piper stands next to Leo, her hand interlaced with Jason's.

"So you're saying that _smart, mature _Annabeth has run away?" asks Leo in disbelief and a little amused. "Why?"

My heart pounds with sadness. "How should know?" I try to say agitated.

"Um, maybe it's because you're her boyfriend? You know her more than anyone here..." Piper points out with an obvious tone.

The innocent comment makes my stomach knot in guilt. "I really don't know," I say quietly, and a silence gathers around us.

I turn to look at Hazel, and I notice a look of guilt etched on her face, too. Her eyes lock with mine, and her look turns into that worried, grim gaze again.

"And you want us to follow you to find her?" Jason asks, his eyes flickering to Piper. He looked worried too, but not about the recent events.

I scowl at him, my jaw clenching. "Of course not," I sneer sarcastically.

"And who is going to run Camp Jupiter? Are you going to leave Reyna to run it alone?" Jason replies simply, but I catch an edge to his voice.

I shoot him a killing glare, and I feel my cheeks flushing in anger. "Why do you even care about her? I thought breaking her heart was the only attention you gave her since you landed here," I spat.

Jason frowns, and his eyes looked wary. He quickly changed his face into an angry scowl. I continue to glare at him, and he scowls at me. We hold our angry gazes at each other.

"Percy, calm down," says Frank in a concerned tone. I realize I have glared at Jason for a whole minute. My eyes do not leave him as I mutter, "Sorry."

I shoot Jason one last disgusted look before tearing my eyes to the remaining people. Frank seems to be shifting on his feet awkwardly, Leo is busy staring intently on the ground, Piper flickers her eyes worriedly from Jason to me, and Hazel has a hollow, vacant look on her face.

"It makes sense to follow him," Hazel mutters, "Annabeth might be the seventh child of the prophecy, and being a child of Minerva, we'll need her in the war against the giants for battle strategy."

Piper finally speaks up. "Well, wherever you're going, I'm in. Percy helped the Romans not attack us when we landed; I owe him my life. This is the least I can do."

Jason shoots her a look, and she leans in to whisper something in his ear. Jason whispers something in return, and Piper's face grows white, then red in anger. After some seconds of quiet arguing, Piper nods her head stiffly and turns to face me.

"Jason's not going." she says in a hushed tone.

I scrunch my eyebrows together and tilt my head to the side. _Why would he stay if Piper is going with me?_

Then it hits me.

_Reyna._

I widen my eyes and a sudden rush of rage consumes me, filling the top of head to the tip of my toes. I clench my fists so tight, my nails dig into my palms.

"No," I say firmly. "He's going with us."

Jason says nothing. Instead, he rises up to meet my face.

_He's not taking no for an answer._

I meet him halfway, and my jaw tightens some more.

Frank and Leo look ready to break up a fight, and Hazel has been knocked out of her trance, and is looking horrified. Not as much as Piper, though.

She squeaks fearfully and rushes to put herself in between us, yelling, "Stop, guys!"

"Move, Piper." Jason growls. "I'm going to show this _kid, _to not boss a son of _Jupiter_ around."

I laugh darkly and narrow my eyes at him. "Bring it on, airhead." I taunt.

"Stop!"

Piper's command is harsh, but to my ears sounds as soft as velvet. My head twitches to her, and I feel all the anger being drained out me.

The girl sighs in relief and laughs nervously. "Thank you, Mom, for charmspeak," she mumbles to herself. Her eyes finally flicker to mine, and she says, "I think you should let Jason stay; he could run Camp Jupiter while you're gone. Plus, he's been praetor before, so it won't be anything new."

I bite my lip angrily, but nod stiffly. What can I do? I can't reveal everything now; they'll reject following me to find Annabeth. They'll call me sick and a cheater.

_They're right._

But then why does it feel so right?

"Fine," I growl, and Jason smiles in triumph. "Sad, you're girlfriend has to win your battles for you," I add icily.

Jason shoots me a murderous glare, but doesn't push it. I smirk in return. Leo steps up to look at me and clears his throat. "I, for one, can count on me _totally _going!" he says excitedly, and I smile, because he reminded me of Nico when he was given his first quest.

I nod, and Leo comes to stand next to me. "Well," Frank says, his eyes shifting to Hazel, "I don't know if Hazel is going or not, and I will go with her wherever, no matter what."

I catch Hazel blushing, and I feel sad.

My mind shifts to all the times I've caught Reyna blushing. My heart especially picks up speed when I think of the times _I _was the reason she was blushing. My heart ached to kiss her again, to hold her hand.

I hide a smile forming on my lips as I realized how crazy the praetor was making me feel. Especially how fast she could make my world spin and shatter at the same time. She was a demon for playing me like she has, but an angel all the same for just being _her_.

"Percy? Why are you smiling?" Hazel says, breaking my thoughts.

_Oops, so much for hiding it._

I shake my head and turn to my friend. "I was saying," Hazel continues. "That I'm with you, Percy."

Frank nods happily, smiling. "Me too!"

They both hug me tightly and Leo exclaims, "So it's settled! Operation 'Find Annabeth Chase' begins!"

I grin at them. Maybe I'm not so alone after all.

Plus, when I come back, things are going to change. _And Reyna and I will be together_, I think, _growing old and happy in New Rome_.

The thought makes me feel light and hopeful.

* * *

><p><strong>And so let me start off with that I'm <em>so <em>sorry this chapter is so short! I would've wanted to make it longer, but I just wanted to end it with a happy note, previous to all these sad chapters. I hoped you liked, and please _REVIEW_!**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	9. This Life

**Okay, lemme just warn you: This chapter is sad, guys. And short. (Sorry!) Anyways, either way, I hope you enjoy. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the PJO characters! All credit goes to my hero, Rick! (Jk, he's such a troll.)**

* * *

><p>Percy's POV:<p>

We leave exactly at noon, as I promised to Reyna.

I head out of my barrack with Leo, Piper, Hazel, and Frank behind me. Jason lingers behind us. "So how are we going to get around, exactly?" Leo wonders aloud.

I frown. "I don't know," I admit. "I kind of didn't think I'd end up this far."

I smile sheepishly and Hazel rolls her eyes playfully. "Well, I can get us a ride," Piper suggests.

"How?" Frank asks, and Piper giggles. "Charmspeak?" Piper explains, and Frank curls his lips onto an "_oh"_ formation.

"Go for it, Piper." I say, and shoot her an encouraging smile. I catch her blushing slightly, and a feeling of awkwardness seeps through me. A sharp jab in my back startles me, and I turn to watch Jason who is shooting me a murderous glare again.

I shake my head, and frown.

_I like someone else, _I say silently through my eyes.

Jason's eyebrows knit, and he responds silently, _Who?_

I shrug and turn around, as if to say, _None of your business._

We keep walking, and I tell the group that I want to go tell Reyna that we will be leaving. Everyone nods, and I run up to the principia.

I stop at the door, and take a deep breath. _This is going to be anything but easy._

()()()()

Slowly opening it, I walk in to find Octavian and Reyna discussing some plans for something of the camp. Octavian looks up and scowls, while Reyna flutters her eyes to me, then drops them to her desk.

She looked conflicted and sad. As usual, I hated Octavian for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I longed to kiss her again, to make her feel better.

"Um, I'm just here to report that I'm leaving now," I say casually.

"Leaving?" Octavian interrupts. "Where? Have you even gotten the Senate's approval?" he demands.

I cross my arms. "No, I haven't. But this is an emergency."

I see Reyna scowling. "Yeah, you have to rescue your runaway _girlfriend_." she hisses.

Octavian laughs. "A daughter of Minerva, _running away_? How amusing."

I grit my teeth. "Octavian, if you don't want to end up in the Underworld, I suggest you shut up."

Reyna stands and her gaze is absolutely petrifying. She glares at me and says firmly, "No one is hurting anyone; not on my watch. You may go now, _Perseus_- I grant you permission from me."

Octavian opens his mouth to object, but Reyna sends him a glare so fiery, he gulps in fear and keeps his mouth shut. In any other situation, I would have laughed, but now I just felt confused.

_Why is she so mad?_

"Octavian, you are dismissed." she hisses, and he takes no time to gather his things and scurries out. My eyes follow him as he leaves, then turn to Reyna.

She sighs heavily then slumps back in her seat. She only looks up to glare at me, then flickers her eyes to the ground, looking distressed.

"I hate you for this," she mumbles tiredly. I frown. "For what?"

"For making me feel…" she hesitates. "…_this way_."

"Reyna," I breathe, walking to her, and picking her up. I wrap my arms around her waist, and she writhes as I do. She sighs sadly.

"I won't be able to do it, Percy." she whispers, pained.

"You will. Someday, we can be together." I whisper back.

Reyna cringes and I sigh. "Can't you just say it? Admit it once and for all?"

I feel her shaking her head against my chest. "If I do, Gaea will only use it against you- to break you." she murmurs.

I wince. She's right.

"Plus, after Jason, I just… I can't." she whispers, and I hear her sniffing, as if she's swallowing her tears. With my thumb and index finger, I tilt her head up.

"Cry, Reyna. Crying isn't a sign of weakness. I will never change my opinion about you if you just cry." I tell her, and she breaks into sobs.

"What if you don't make it? Maybe you will after this, but-but, this is a war against the _giants_, Percy! We-we might _die_!" she says between tears.

I hug the dark haired girl tighter.

"And I have all this responsibility on my shoulders to protect Camp Jupiter, and you'll be gone, and-"

I capture her lips in a kiss, and she kisses me back gently. Her tears roll down her face, and touch my own skin.

I savor the moment, for I know Reyna is right; this is war, and from personal experience, I knew some people you love might pass away. My heart feels like lead, and if I could, I would never let go.

Because I'm scared too. I'm scared of losing her; it frightens me right to the bone.

When we break apart, Reyna sighs heavily and pulls away from me, wiping her tears.

"Goodbye, Percy." she says hollowly, and walks out of the principia. She doesn't even look at me. And the old Reyna, the guarded, emotionless one returns.

I ball my fists in frustration.

_This damn life. _

_This life that makes us grow up so fast. _

_Makes girls like Reyna, who should be painting her nails, going to the mall, calling her friends into a girl in the middle of a war, and her face covered with worried wrinkles, like she's a thousand years old._

_That makes our love so unpredictable and sad, because we could die any minute, or loose the one another. We should be dating, going to the movies, riding in my car, doing reckless, stupid things- all in the name of love. _

_We should be together. She shouldn't need to put walls up. I shouldn't be scared to death of her safety and sanity._

_This damn life of ours._

I run my fingers through my hair in an act of desperation, and bite my lip until I taste a bitter copper in my mouth.

I feel cold, so very cold.

I walk out of the principia and hope the mid-afternoon sunlight that beams down on my neck warms me.

It doesn't.

I gulp and walk to my friends, looking at me for reassurance. I fake a smile, and my friends smile back, relieved.

_Just because I'm sinking inside, doesn't mean I'll bring them down with me._

As we continue walking, I notice how _alive _Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank look. How even when they know this trip is dangerous, they joke and smile. And then I know.

If somehow, I lose hope, or want to give up, I'll keep fighting- right to the very end.

For them.

For Reyna.

For all of us.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Because they are humans too.<em>**

**Hope you liked!**

**Please review! **

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	10. Flawed

**Hey guys! So here is a short chapter from me, but I plan on updating either today or tomorrow, so don't fret! :) Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the PJO characters!**

* * *

><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

I found myself roaming aimlessly through the camp. Finally, I find myself in that old closet of film reels in the movie theater. Dust and light filters through the room, and I sigh.

I walk through all the film reels and my mind drifts to that night at the movies with… _Percy._

My mind floods with different flickering images.

Percy's emerald eyes shining in the moonlight.

Percy's hand touching mine.

_Percy's laugh._

I longed for that laugh.

That laugh almost makes everything _better_. It makes my heart dance across the stars, it makes the worries go away…

My mind thinks of our kiss.

I cringe and try to block the images out, but it's too late.

A million feelings rush at me as I remember _all _the times Percy's lips have touched mine. It is almost overwhelming.

That day in the bathhouse.

After our _code duello_.

Behind my principia.

At the fountain in New Rome at two in the morning.

In the Field of Mars.

Behind the mess hall.

And…

And…

_Today._

And I don't want to feel it, but that sadness, that painful sadness that I've run away from my _entire life_ crashed into my soul.

It's sad really, how he can touch me, the _real _me, so damn easily.

How he makes me fall apart so fast.

He reminds me of how flawed I am, and how I'm so weak, _so weak_.

So when I see no one's around to overhear, I cry. My knees buckle and I cry for my past, for my future.

How can I can have Percy, but I'm too _afraid _to do it. How I'm so scared, so scared, of dying. Of letting my fellow Romans die. So much pressure, responsibility on my shoulders. _So many lives._

And then there's him. Because I know eventually he'll give up, because I won't be able to make up my mind. He's human. He won't be able to wait forever.

Forever.

A dark chuckle rises in my throat and comes out as a choked sob.

Forever?

_Nothing _is forever.

I sob harder as I realize the horrible truth.

_I can't be fixed. No matter how much he tries, those scars- from Circe's island, from Jason, from other things I'll _never _tell- will never go away._

_I can't be fixed._

I breathe in sharply, and take several more breaths.

"Why, Perseus Jackson? I was just starting to get a grip on my life!" I shout to no one. The scream bounces off the walls and back to me.

_Because he came to help you. He's going to help you forgive and forget._

Forgive?

Forget?

To me, the thought is ludicrous.

But part of me clings to the thought, and hopes. I am done with holding everything inside me.

_I want to break free._

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><p><strong>So there you go! Hope you liked, and please review! :D<strong>

**-_The TimeMachine._**


	11. It's A Trap!

**Hey guys! A lot of reviewers keep asking: What's up with Annabeth? Is she "going to pull a Luke"? Or what? Well, read on and find out. ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the PJO characters! **

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><p>Annabeth's POV:<p>

My mind is foggy, and my vision's blurred. I'm stumbling through the streets of Rome- I could recognize the architecture anywhere.

I feel nauseous, and my knees feel weak. I feel like curling up into a ball, but that voice, a voice I haven't heard in a while, makes me keep going.

_Find me, Annabeth…_

I shout the person's name in the air. But in the wind, it sounds like an empty, hollow cry.

The logic in my brain tells me this isn't possible- I can't suddenly appear in Rome in the blink of an eye, or hear that voice...

_Save me, Annabeth…_

"Luke!" I scream, and run faster. My lungs burn and I gasp for breath. I have to keep running, I think. I have to find him.

What if he's trouble? What if Gaea has him?

But...

What if Gaea is playing with me?

_Annabeth!_ The sound is choked and pained. I run harder, turning into an alley. "Luke!"

He sounds close. I'm almost there, I think, sprinting. My emotions are a mess, relatively unusual for me.

But, Percy- and Reyna...

NO.

Don't think of him- _ever_. Don't think of _them_. The though makes my knees want to buckle.

How dare he betray me? After all I've- I've given to him!

Gods, I gave up my _virginity _to him...

No. No. No.

I must focus, concentrate. I can save Luke, my childhood friend- he can help me get through all of this...

"Yes," I breathe. "I have to find Luke. I must."

_Annabeth!_

"I'm coming!" I shout, and a sudden blinding light startles me to the ground.

"I've been waiting for you, child of Athena." a cold voice hisses. The voice seems to wrap around my chest, squeezing the breath out of me.

"No!" I try to scream, but nothing comes out. For once, Annabeth Chase did not have anything to say.

I was stunned speechless.

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><p><strong>Awh, snap! Guys, this was fun to write, and maybe, just maybe we'll get more chapters in Annabeth's POV later! I think we could get more insight on how "that hissing voice" messes with our blonde Wise Girl... Idk. What do you think? Please review! (Sorry for the short chapter guys. I'm a sick, twisted person for playing you like this. Mybad.)<strong>

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	12. Shared Dreams

**Her guys! A new chapter up. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the PJO characters!**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

I made it back to my principia unnoticed. I step inside the room and stiffly slide into my bed sheets. My eyes flutter closed and I hope for a dreamless sleep.

_The rain is pouring on the windows. I am scribbling something on some papers, indulged in my work. The door opens, and I am startled. Who would visit me so late? I look up and take in a sharp breath._

_Him._

No. No. No. I thought I'd never have this… dream, again. Why? Why now? I want to scream, and tell myself to walk away, to do _something_. Anything but stay here.

_I try to return my gaze to my work and continue, but I can't. My emotions are roaring, and I feel my cheeks getting hot. "Reyna?" the blonde boy asks softly. "I need to tell you something."_

_I tear my eyes from the paper to look at him. Dark eyes and electric blue lock, and my breathing becomes heavy. Will he confess his love for me? Gods, my hair must look so messy and I must look tired._

_He makes me feel so insecure, like I'm not worthy of his love. But, how can I be so sure he loves me in the first place? _

_He has to. I've seen the way he looks at me. The way he stumbles with his words when we are discussing something of the camp, alone._

_How long I've yearned to speak of something else, of us. But, I can't say anything unless I know for sure. If I do, and he doesn't feel the same, I'll look like a fool. And Reyna isn't a fool._

"_Yes?" I say quietly, trying- and failing- at sounding nonchalant. My voice is almost a shy whisper. He walks over to me, and stands over me. He scratches his head and sighs._

_I stand and clear my throat. "Yes?" I ask again, my heart racing. But instead of a reply, he just kisses me. He grabs my arms and clashes our lips together roughly. I widen my eyes in surprise, but quickly shake it off, and begin to kiss him back._

_I try to kiss him sweetly, but he doesn't. His kiss is harsh and rough, and I want to pull him off me, to tell him to stop, but I can't. My heart betrays me, saying: Isn't this what you've always wanted?_

_No? Yes. Yes. Of course it is. _

"NO!" I scream at the top of my lungs, lunging in between myself and Jason. "NO! STOP!" But I don't listen. I never listen to myself in this dream.

_So I let him French kiss me, to nip at my lips, and to touch me. My skin tingles at his touch, and I kiss him lovingly, letting all my emotions drip through my lips. _

I'm bawling now, hugging myself tightly. My dream self continues to kiss Jason, and I cry harder.

_And so when his fingertips tug at the shoulder of my toga, I let him slip it off me, and let it drop to the floor with a soundless thud. My back touches the bed and he starts to take off his own clothes._

"No," I cry out, shuddering. I turn away. I weep as I know what happens next. I just don't want to see anymore. When I know it's over, I turn around again. I watch myself frantic to lock eyes with the blonde boy, to tell him what I've held in me for so long.

"_I love you," I murmur. Jason kisses me neck and doesn't even look up. My breath catches in my throat. Jason finally looks up, but catches my eyes briefly. Then he gets up abruptly and pulls on his clothes._

_I prop myself up on my elbows, and my eyebrows knit. "Jason?" I say, breathless. Did I rush? Was this not the right time? Of course it's the time, I think. We just-just made…_

"_I've got to go." he says simply._

_Go?_

I walk up to Jason, my fists balled, crying in hysterics. "HOW COULD YOU, YOU-YOU _MONSTER_!" I screech. My fists are flung at him, but as always, they past right through him. And he keeps talking.

"_Um, good night." he mutters as he turns and starts for the door._

"_Jason?" my voice trembles, and silent tears streak my face._

_Something in me shatters, something breaks that can never be fixed._

_The sound of the door shutting rings in my ears. "But-" I say hollowly to no one. And I rise out of my bed, and curl into a ball in a corner. I cry until my throat closes shut, until my head spins._

_How stupid am I?_

I look at myself, and bite my lip. "He played you." I say quietly, "Like he will again before he disappears. And then he'll come back, with another girl, and he'll tear you down again."

The door opens again. I look up, and my eyes widen. He's not supposed to be here…

"_Reyna? It's going to be okay…" a black haired boy whispers. He wraps his arms around me and hugs me tightly. He kisses the top of my head and caresses my cheek. "It'll be okay, it'll be okay."_

_I look up. "Even if I'm…" my voice cracks. "…used?" _

_Percy nods, hugging me tighter. "I'll always love you, Reyna. Always." _

He stands to look at me, the real me. "Reyna, I'm so, so sorry." he whispers. His jaw is clenched. "And when I get back, Jason will _pay._" he hisses.

I frown.

"Wait, are we… sharing dreams?" I say, worried.

He nods. "I know. The real me, knows."

I shake my head. "No. I... You shouldn't have seen that."

Percy's gaze shifts and his eyes seem sad. "Why not?"

"I never want anyone to know that Reyna is a…" I choke, "_whore_."

Percy grits his teeth. "You are _not _a whore." he says firmly. "Don't _ever _say that again."

My shoulders sag. "But it's true," I say dully. Percy shakes his head and steps toward me and kisses me. Even if it is such a dream, the kiss makes me feel alive again. I feel so warm, and so safe.

"You are beautiful, Reyna." he whispers, his forehead resting on mine.

"Thank you," I whisper and he smiles.

"I'll be home soon," he promises, giving my cheek a final kiss. "I've got to go. Goodbye."

I nod, my lips forming a small smile. Genuine happiness sparks across his face and he whispers, "I love you."

And then he's gone.

_He loves me._

I don't feel so alone anymore. Because I have _him_, and I realize that I need him, I really do- more than he'll ever need me- and I'm okay with that. I smile, whispering, "I'm not alone. I am free." to myself over and over until I wake up.

()()()()

Percy's POV:

I wake to a pang of pain in my chest.

_That's why there are so many walls up._

My teeth clench, and I feel my cheeks burning. I curse in Greek, Roman, and English. Leo looks up from fiddling with his tool belt to mutter, "Jeez, I know you're a son of Poseidon and all, but seriously, no need to be a sailor mouth."

I frown, and then laugh, in spite of myself.

I turn to look out of our tourist bus's window. We are in Rome, thanks to Piper and her charmspeaking ways. We managed to get some "last-minute" passes to board the bus. The bus jerks to a halt near a café. Before my dream with Reyna, I had a short dream with my father.

He sounded very worried, but told me Annabeth was here. Before the dream shifted, he told me to be careful. I promised him I would.

"Uh, so where do we start?" Frank says, interrupting my thoughts.

I turn to look at him. "Everywhere," I say grimly, starting down the street.

"But- can't we eat first?" Frank whines. I spin around to roll my eyes, smiling.

"Fine,"

Frank grins. "C'mon, Hazel." he says, tugging the daughter of Pluto towards the café. Leo and Piper shrug and start for the café as well.

I start toward the place too, until I notice a small phone booth. I bite my lip and turn sideways. The group was gathered at a table near the window. They were laughing and messing around.

_I need to hear her voice one last time._

So I pick up the phone, slip in some quarters, and dial her number. The phone only rings once. "Hello?" a voice breathes. "Reyna?" I whisper.

"P-Percy?" the voice is small.

"I'm sorry." I say, and Reyna breathes in sharply.

"It's okay." she replies. Silence gathers upon us.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, okay?" her voice is firm and demanding. I smile wide.

"I promise, my praetor." I say jokingly.

"Don't push it, Jackson." I can hear the smile in her voice.

"I love you," I say simply. How easy it seems to roll off my tongue. So sincere and so _right_.

Another long silence gathers upon us. Seconds pass, and they feel like hours. My blood turns to ice, and my heart stops cold. I seem to hold in my breath until I hear her reply.

"I…"

_Please deposit fifty more cents._

"Damnit!" I shout, louder than I meant it to be. I throw the phone back into its holder, fuming. I rake my fingers through my hair and sigh.

"So close," I whisper, smiling ruefully. And I turn and walk back into the café, to my waiting friends.

"You okay?" Piper says, frowning.

I nod, smiling. "Yeah, just- ...yeah."

Leo shrugs and continues his story about fixing Festus; I tune him out- I've heard this story a _million _times since the curly haired boy landed at Camp Jupiter- and I think of Reyna.

I can't wait to go home. I look out the window and at the sky.

_Where are you, Annabeth?_

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><p><strong>So...<strong>

**I don't know if I'm fully satisfied with this. I mean, I don't want Jason to come off as a major douche, but I don't want him to be a hero, either. **

**I guess I did this so you'd know how difficult it is for Reyna to open up about her feelings, so when (IF) she does it for Percy, it'll be ten times as special. **

***sigh* Yeah...**

**Review, and tell me your thoughts, please! :)**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	13. Proposition

**Ohmygod, guys! I haven't updated in forever! I'm _so _sorry about that! It's just that school's been so busy with end-of-the-year stuff, not to mention finals and... yeah. Anyways, here is chapter thirteen, and I plan on updating two chapters today to make it up to you! Summer is right around the corner, and so I hope to start updating regularly again. Thanks for sticking with me even when I didn't update for a while! Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

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><p>Annabeth's POV:<p>

The icy feeling tears through my chest. I want to sob, weep, for a million reasons, but my dignity won't let me. I am not crying in front of the enemy…

The hissing voice laughs sharply. "I'm afraid I already think of you as weak," it sneers loudly, a horrid gurgle of it rising out of its throat. My vision is blurred, white spots dancing across it, so I cannot see _her_.

But I know who she is- Gaea, the Earth goddess. "That is correct, young hero," she hisses, responding to me. I scowl. As much as I hated the thought of it, I needed Percy's help. He would be the only one who could defeat her. My scowl deepened.

"Stupid mortal, worrying about worthless things," Gaea chuckles darkly.

"Worthless things?" I hiss, anger bubbling in my veins. A laugh slips past my lips. It sounds foreign- an livid, evil thing. "Well, what would I expect you to know about love?" I spat.

The Earth goddess laughs.

"Foolish little girl, this whole _war _will be out of love, for my children. Those stupid Olympians _dare _defeat them?" she roars. Her anger increases, reaching its peak.

"Well no," she continues, screaming, making me cup my ears. "We will _not _be humiliated by those _idiotic _excuses you mortals call gods!" I am at my knees, shrieking, "Stop! Stop it!" Gaea stops her shouting and laughs again.

"Oh yes, I have forgotten that me yelling at its full extent would shatter your eardrums. Although I would like to, I need you alive to lure that child of Poseidon."

I wince. Vivid memories of the boy with the sea green eyes stab at my heart. I shake my head, pounding at the solid ice wall in frustration. My knuckles are bloody and they sting. The ice feeling is snaking at my chest again, knocking me breathless.

"I feel so much anger in you, daughter of Athena. It seems you hate the hero Perseus Jackson as much as I do." Gaea hisses. "You are a very intelligent girl, and an able architect. Join me, and you will have the honor of rebuilding the new Olympus, one grand and magnificent, fit for _true _gods."

I smile, and I am sure it looks radical, wild. "I've already done that," I chuckle darkly. "Plus, you are correct, I _am _intelligent. Enough to know that siding with you would be a _childish _mistake. You will lose the war. I know that you know. Only a fool would walk into this fight. The Olympians and demigods will win."

Gaea roars something I do not understand. A curse in ancient Greek I cannot decipher. But suddenly, a wave of snow and ice collides on me, slamming me to the ground. A muffled scream is all you hear from the mountain of snow until I black out.

()()()()

My eyes flutter open. The snow and ice is gone, but the ice wall remains. I am lying on the ground though, and I get up, propping up on my elbows. I cringe. A sharp pain rises in my spine, making me wail in agony. The white spots peak out of the corners of my sight.

I blink.

Instead of seeing the ice wall in front of me, I am seeing a blur of violet, and frizzy, caramel hair. A muffled sound vibrates in my eardrum- someone talking.

My breath catches.

_How could I be so clueless?_ I bite my lip, and try to focus on the images, the noise. A moan of pain escapes my lips. This is draining my energy.

With raw determination and a sharp bite at the insides of my cheek, I try to send a small, simple message, "Help!"

The images stop. He has stopped moving. The vision is still blurred, but the noise has sharpened a bit- enough for me to hear a faint, "Annabeth?"

My breath catches again. His voice is worse than all the ice and snow on my skin. It is a cruel poison, making me want to double over and scream.

A painful feeling wraps around my heart, and I clench my teeth. After a gulp of air and a long exhale, I respond.

"Percy? Where are you?"

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! <em>Review!<em>**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	14. Decision

**Yay! My second chapter, as promised! Hope you like! :) **

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><p>Percy's POV:<p>

I am walking by Hazel down the streets of downtown Rome when the feeling hits me. It is as a huge pang of pain smacks my head, out of nowhere, leaving my brain spinning. I blinked hard, shook my head- anything to make the feeling stop.

And then when I blinked for the third time, instead of seeing concrete and stone buildings, I saw ice. I blink again. Yes, I was looking at ice, stretching as high and wide as I could see. A strong feeling of sadness and fear gripped at my chest, making my knees buckle.

I caught a blur of beach blonde locks out of the corner of my eyes, and I frown. "Annabeth?" I whisper, clutching at my head.

Her voice is a gurgle, like if she was talking to me several feet under water. "Percy? Where are you?" The last word is sharp, like she was talking to my ear.

I blink again. Then a smile curls at my lips.

_Of course!_

"Annabeth? I'm in Rome, where are you?" I say urgently.

"I don't know," she admits rather sharply. My gut knots. She is angry, obviously. Does she even want me to rescue her? _Of course she does, _I answer myself, but doubt poked from the back of my head.

"Don't worry," I say reassuringly, "I'll find you."

"Sure, I'll just wait here with my good buddy Gaea," she snaps irritably.

My eyes widen. "Gaea's got you?" I mumble, panic coursing through me. I am walking all of my friends into a trap!

Annabeth responds something I do not understand. Her voice is growing distant, until it is completely gone. "Annabeth!" I shout.

I look up to find Leo standing over me, looking worried. "Uh, you okay, dude?" he says cautiously. "You were kinda just calling the sidewalk 'Annabeth'."

I rise and look at all of my friends' faces. They mirrored Leo's. "I'm fine," I say, but they do not relax. "I have forgotten that I have an empathy link with Annabeth and Grover. I can see and hear whatever they do, if they will it."

Leo scowls. "Well, you could've used that a _long _time ago!"

I purse my lips. "Like I said, I _forgot_." I say, frowning.

"Well, the point is, that you got in contact with Annabeth, I suppose." Hazel steps in, turning to me.

I look at her. "Yes," I respond, and Piper frowns. "Do you know where she is then? Did you talk some sense to her? Did she tell you why she ran away?" she asks.

"No, she doesn't know where she is," I say, my voice shaking, "Because Gaea has her."

Everyone gasps.

"Gaea?" Frank says, confused. "Oh, you mean _Terra_?" he finishes panicky.

I nod. Frank's eyes nervously flicker from Hazel to me. "_Terra?_" he whispers into her ear. "We'll get killed! None of us brought proper weapons to defeat her, not even close!"

I take in a sharp breath. Frank is right. "Listen, dusk is falling, why don't we rest at a hotel, and think this through tomorrow morning?" I suggest, and no one hesitates. With Piper's charmspeak, we booked a room at the corner of the street, and we all collapse on our beds, tired.

Everyone falls asleep instantly.

I wake in the middle of the night panting. Sweat drenched my brows, and my heart thudded against my chest so loud, I was afraid my friends would wake up.

I dreamed about Gaea, a slob of earth, dirt, and mud in the shape of a woman, with black endless pits for eyes, and razor sharp teeth. She had no hair, and when she moved, the ground rumbled.

She was torturing a blonde girl, with tanned skin and a neon orange t-shirt. Annabeth arched her back in pain, wailing, as endless ice and snow fell on her, making her skin turn light blue with frostbite.

I tried to scream, run, and do _something_. But I couldn't. I was paralyzed in place. My feet seemed to weigh a thousand tons and made of iron. So I just watched Annabeth slowly die of hyperthermia, right before my eyes.

I sit up, clasping at my aching back. The hard and cold carpet made my back stiffen. A light blanket was wrapped around my waist, and I listened to the soft sounds of Piper's breathing, and Frank's snoring. Leo rustled his blankets changing his sleeping position for the thousandth time. He mumbled something about "Tia Callida…"- whatever that was.

Hazel stirred in her sleep too, muttering, "I'm sorry, Annabeth, I should've told you…"

I freeze. Told her what? I am standing now, peering over the four bodies of my friends. Piper was on one of the two beds, of course, and Hazel on the other.

Leo is on the ground, like me, and there is a rouge pillow lying next to Leo's body- Frank's pillow. I notice he's crawled into bed with Hazel, his arm wrapped around her waist protectively. He snores quietly, and Hazel has stopped muttering in her sleep, her breathing steady and monotone.

The image makes me smile sadly. I was happy for my friends, but my chest ached for someone to hug like that. A brilliant smile flashes across my brain, followed by dark straight hair and a firm, commanding voice.

"_Be careful okay?"_

I smile again.

My eyes wander across the room, and I sigh. I can't let my friends walk into this. They'll die, and I just can't bare all that guilt again, like Beckendorf and all those deaths in the Battle of Manhattan.

I close my eyes, as the heavy feeling of lead constricts my heart and throat, making my breaths stagger. I shake my head, trying to clear the feeling away. But of course, it never goes away, just retreats to the darkness.

I open my eyes again and look at my friends one last time. Then I turn and pack my backpack, and sling it across my shoulder. My eyes flicker to the ceiling and murmur, "Take care of them, okay? Lead them back home, and protect them along the way." I clench my teeth, and mutter, "Just this once, listen, and do it. Just this once."

With that, I turn and open the room's door as quietly as I can, shutting it as equally quiet. And I walk down the endless stairs, and across the lobby. I open the double doors, and step into the fresh morning air. The city of Rome was already buzzing, and I start walking.

After a few blocks, and when I'm sure I cannot be followed, I find the nearest bench and sit down. I try to focus on connecting my thoughts on Annabeth. And something clicked.

And I knew exactly where she was.

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><p><strong>Review! <strong>

**P.S. Does anyone know for a fact that Percy has an empathy link with Annabeth? I know for a fact that he does to Grover, but I don't know about Annabeth. If not, I don't care, this _is_ FanFiction after all, and I can add stuff to the story. But, I was just curious. Anyway, thanks for reading either way!**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	15. Fatal Flaw

**Hey guys! After much debating, I finally have chapter 15 written, with more coming soon! But for now, here's chapter 15, enjoy.**

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><p>Reyna's POV:<p>

_My eyes open._

_Instantly, I feel the warm, moist sand squish in between my toes and the gentle ocean breeze hitting my cheeks. Beads of sweat form on my forehead as the sun's rays beam down on my face. And then I feel something shifting underneath my left palm._

_My head snaps to the source, and I find a figure standing next to me, their hand interlaced with my own. Their sea-green eyes lock with mine, jet black hair falling to cover their eyes as they look at me. Percy smiles warmly and says, "Hey, Reyna."_

_A smile grows on my face. "Hello, Percy." I say, and I turn to look at the endless sand as we walk forward along the beach. _

_Moments of silence pass between us, and I shift nervously in Percy's hand. I'm not one for small talk. And now that he knows my secret, what will we say? I know it's not really him_—_ I can feel it_—_ but I can't help feeling awkward. "Reyna?" _

_I turn to look at Percy, saying a quiet "Hmm?" as I do. I jerk back immediately, scowling in disgust and eyeing the figure with horror. _

_Instead of the calming sea-green eyes I've come to know, I'm staring at electrifying blue eyes. "You," I hiss, backing away, all traces of astonishment wiped from me completely. "What are you doing here?"_

_Jason takes a step towards me, outstretching his hand, his eyes wary. "Reyna? I just need to—" _

_I slap his hand away. "Don't touch me," I growl, clenching my fists._

_I blink. Now, I'm standing in front of Percy, his face contorted in agony. His brows furrow and his eyes gleam with tears. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice cracking. _

_I'm beside him in seconds, embracing him tightly. "Percy? No, I didn't mean that. I thought you were…someone else." I whisper in his ear. Percy pulls back and searches my eyes for a moment. Afterwards, he mumbles, "I love you." _

_My breath catches. The face is changing into Jason again, and instead I see him mumble "I love you," to me. I bite my tongue before I say something mean again. _It's just Percy, _I think, _he's not really Jason.

_Someone behind me laughs. I spin around, almost knocking Percy/Jason to the ground. No one is behind me, but the laughter continues. Percy, who has turned back to himself, is oblivious to all of this. He gives me a confused look. _

_I turn and narrow my eyes at the sky. My heart is mysteriously racing, and I don't know why. The laughter gets louder and louder, to the point where the ground shakes. I stretch my arms out for balance as the ground rumbles. I turn and sneak a glance at Percy who is still giving me a confused look._

"_Reyna," a voice hisses. The blood in my veins suddenly freezes to ice, choking the air in my lungs. Fear creeps up underneath me, slipping me off my feet. My knees lock, and I land on the floor on them. "Reyna!" a voice behind me yells. It belongs to Jason, and it's the exact same one he used _that night_. It sounds guarded, distant. _

_I cup my hands to my ears, screaming, "Stop!" The cold laughter from the sky gets louder and louder, making the waves on the sea rise inch by inch every time. I feel a hand at my back, a touch so delicate and warming, that I know it belongs to Percy._

_I turn to look at him, lock eyes with him, to get some kind of relief. He looks concerned. "Gods, Reyna, are you all right?" I nod slowly, rising to hug him again. His arms wrap around my waist at the same time, pulling me closer. I snuggle into his chest, hoping his beating heart will calm my own._

_Percy kisses the top of my head, murmuring something I don't understand. When we pull away, his hand cups my chin, and tilts my head towards his. "Reyna, I'm sorry—about everything." he says, his deep, emerald eyes unwavering._

_My heart flutters against my ribcage. I open my mouth, to say the words I've wanted to say since he left…and then his face changes and I'm hugging Jason, his blue eyes staring into mine._

"_I really am sorry," he says, with the same firmness Percy did. _

_My breath catches and I stop the words from slipping past my lips just in time. "Of course you cannot forgive one and not the other, daughter of Bellona," the voice behind me chuckles, making my skin crawl. "Your ego is much too big for that. Either you forgive both, or you forgive neither." _

_I grit my teeth. _I can forgive Percy, _I think in my head, somehow knowing the voice will hear me. The voice laughs again, and another large wave crashes far out into the ocean. "Oh, but my dear, I know you better than you do, and trust me when I say you cannot." the voice replies with a cold humor. "If you do, you would break."_

"_Reyna?" My eyes shift to Percy now, and I notice his green eyes are desperate now. He's waiting for me to say the words. _Say them, Reyna, _I think, _prove her wrong. Wait—her? _The voice laughs again. "Yes, I am who you think I am. And there it is, child, your fatal flaw—your ego." she crackles. _

"_No!" I scream, furious. "I can—_will—_do it!" _

"_Please, Reyna," Percy pleads. I turn to him, and look into his eyes firmly. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I try again, and again. Percy looks at me, worried, and finally I see what I don't want to see—ever._

_I see him break. _

_His eyes turn cold, emotionless, as he untangles himself from my arms. The sound of rushing water fills my ears, but it sounds distant and fuzzy compared to the sound of my heart racing in my ears. "Percy!" I find myself yelling, although I don't know why. "Percy, wait! I can forgive you, I—"_

_He says nothing, and the sound of rushing water suddenly becomes crystal clear, like the source is right next to me. Gaea's laughter is booming all around me, I also hear the sizzling of electricity and lightning striking the ground, and I turn to see just in time the giant wave—the one Percy made—consume us whole._

_And then everything goes dark._

I wake screaming into my principia, until my throat burns and I cannot scream no more. My chest rises and falls rapidly, and I'm afraid I might stop breathing all together. My nails are digging into my bed sheets, and my palms feel clammy. My Camp Jupiter t-shirt clings to my back with sweat, and I lay back down my bed gently, concentrating on slowing my breathing.

"_And there it is, child, your fatal flaw—your ego."_

I quickly bite my hand from screaming again, as tears roll down my cheeks. I shake my head. _No, this can't be, _I think. _My ego cannot be my fatal flaw._ _Do I really think I'm better than everyone else, is that the reason I cannot forgive anyone? _

_Yes, _I answer myself, _because if you forgave, that would make you seem weak. And Reyna is never weak. _

My shoulders sag at the horrible truth and then tense as I suddenly get a feeling of defiance. _No, _I think, _I will change that, I will forgive. I have to. _

With my new goal set, I close my eyes and try to fall asleep again. But my heart speeds up as I think that maybe I'll have the same horrible dream again.

So sleep never came.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Please review!<strong>

**-_The TimeMachine_**


	16. Wait, What?

**Hey, guys! Here's chapter 16! Enjoy!**

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><p>Percy's POV:<p>

_The Roman Forum. _

More specifically, the _Mamertine Prison_.

I curse under my breath. A _prison_? There is a small tugging at my head, like if I knew something about that place, something helpful… I shake my head, and quickly rise from my bench. Checking again that no one has followed me, I start toward the infamous place.

I curse again, remembering I don't have Piper's trusty charmspeak with me to hitch a ride. Sighing, I keep walking along the sidewalk, shoulders sagging.

_A prison? Gaea has Annabeth in a prison? Oh gods, I wonder what has Gaea's done to her?_

I decide to stop thinking about it and keep walking. Halfway down the street, a loud commotion at the other far side breaks my train of thought. My eyes shift to the source, and I spot a girl, about my age, standing in front of a horse and carriage, her hands on her hips. The horse is neighing loudly, and seems refusing to walk.

Quickly, I cross the street, and once I get into earshot, I listen: "…Shh, Rosie, it'll be okay," the girl coos. Up close, I notice the girl has dark brown hair tied in a long ponytail. She has dark chocolate brown eyes and her brows are tugging together. Her clothes are normal street clothes, jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. She reminds me deeply of Reyna. But then again, what _doesn't _remind me of my fellow praetor?

"Rosie," the girl tries again, this time her voice shows a tint of impatience. The horse grunts.

_Leila, I'm tired. Just give me a break, hun, _it says. The horse turns to look at me dead on. _Excuse you, son of _Poseidon_, but I'm _not _an "it." _

I smile sheepishly. _Sorry, _I "say".

"What are you even looking at," Leila says, turning to follow Rosie's gaze. Her eyes lock with mine. "Uh, you a lost tourist or what? I can't give you a ride right now," she snaps, crossing her arms, and pointing at her horse with her eyes, as if it was the horse's fault.

"You know, the reason the horse won't move is because it's tired." I say simply.

Rosie neighs, "saying", _Thank Jupiter all mighty! Someone understands! _

I chuckle quietly, and Leila scowls. "So, you some kind of horse expert, tourist?"

I shake my head, shrugging. "I own a horse, if that counts as anything. His name is Blackjack." I smile slyly at my own joke now, and Leila's scowl deepens.

"What, you don't believe me?" I say innocently, but smiling all the same.

_Water! Water, I need water, too, _Rosie pleads.

"Uh, she needs water too." I add, making Rosie grunt in satisfaction.

Leila narrows her eyes at me, but goes back inside the carriage. When she walks out, she is carrying a bucket with five bottled waters.

"This may not be much," she says, uncapping a bottle and spilling its continents onto the bucket, "but water is water, right, Rosie?"

Rosie devours the water in seconds, and sighs contently. _That's the stuff, _she says, making me smile wider. After Rosie gulps down all five bottles' worth of water, she neighs, and starts to walk again.

Leila's lips pucker as she turns to me, her eyes cold. I grin. "See?" I smirk, enjoying being right. After a long moment filled with glares from the girl, Leila's shoulders sag in defeat.

"I suppose the least you deserve is a free ride to wherever you were going," she says quietly, avoiding my gaze.

I smile, and this time, it's sincere.

"Thanks," I say, making her look up. She smiles now too and hops onto her carriage, patting the seat beside her.

"Where to?" she asks, as I slip in next to her.

"Um, the Roman Forum," I say, and Leila's eyes shimmer.

"My grandfather used to take me there every summer when I stayed over at his place," she says, smiling to herself. "Papa used to make me remember every little detail about the place."

She turns to look at me, a smile still in her eyes. "It's a great place to go, tourist. I'm Leila, by the way."

I grin. _I know that already, _I think, making Rosie laugh. "Percy Jackson," I say, and Leila's eyes widen.

"Wait, _the _Percy Jackson?" she stammers, looking at me weirdly. I narrow my eyes at her. "Yes…" I say cautiously. _How does she know me? _

"Uhh…" Leila gulps, returning her eyes to the street. Our carriage continues its trek on it.

"Leila, who are you and how do you know me?"

The girl fidgets in her seat. "My grandfather, he believes in the gods. The Greek gods— the Roman ones, too." Leila finally says. She lifts her eyes to meet mine. "He, uh, heard stories about you from people, _Seers. _They can see through the veil of enchantment the gods supposedly put up so mortals cannot see them and the mythical creatures. I usually thought all the stories he told me were bogus, but now that I know you're real…"

Now it's my turn to widen my eyes.

"Wait; there are more people that can see through the Mist?" I say, incredulous.

_This is bad, really bad. More people that can see through the Mist means more people in danger._

Leila nods. Then shakes her head. "Wait, the Mist? Is that what you demigods call it?"

I look at her. "What _do _you know about us?"

Leila shrugs. "That you are the son of Neptune—err, sorry, _Poseidon_—that fought against the Titans not too long ago, in New York City. You were the child of the Great Prophecy, and you almost became a _god_."

I'm taken aback. "Whoa, and how did those '_Seers_' know all that?"

The girl shrugs again. "How should I know?"

_Never mind, this is horrible. The mortals—they know waayy too much._

"Percy, you're a legend to all of us." Leila says, and I sit back, too shocked to say anything.

_Me? A legend?_

"Of course," Leila says, and I realize I've said this out loud.

I look up to see we've arrived at the Forum. I step off silently, still stunned by everything.

I'm halfway through the high sculpted arches when Leila's voice stops me.

"Percy?"

I turn around. "Yeah?"

"If you ever need anything, at all, I'm always at the corner of Via Cavour and Via degli Annibaldi. It would be an _honor _to fight beside you, especially since there are rumors of an unsettling in the Underworld." she says, her eyes determined.

I nod slightly. "Uh, thanks."

"No, thank you, Perseus Jackson, for saving us all." she says simply, and rides off before I can say anything else.

I just stand there for a while, speechless.

_Mortals know of my existence? And I'm a hero to them? A legend? _

_They know about the gods, the Underworld, everything? What's not to say they know about Gaea as well and the new prophecy. _

_Gods, this is bad._

I clench my teeth. I'll have to wonder about that later. Right now, I have to focus on saving Annabeth. With a deep sigh, I turn around, and walk into the grand Roman Forum.

As much as I try though, the thought of mortals knowing the truth never leaves my mind.

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><p><strong>Because I felt like adding an AU character... haha.<strong>

**I, uh, thought I was going to write about Percy finding Annabeth when I first started this, but suddenly I got an idea, and this happened. I hoped you liked it though, 'cause I actually do. :o Haha.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, and please leave some feedback, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**-_The TimeMachine_**


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